Chrysanthemum plant named &#39;yoswift&#39;

ABSTRACT

A distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Yoswift’, characterized by its anemone-type inflorescences that are about 5.1 cm in diameter with large anemone centers; attractive white ray and dark purple-tipped disc florets; very freely flowering habit with numerous inflorescences per stem; early flowering, response time about 50 days; dark green foliage; strong stems; and good postproduction longevity with inflorescences maintaining good substance and color for about three weeks in an interior environment.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofChrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifolium andhereinafter referred to by the name ‘Yoswift’.

[0002] The new Chrysanthemum is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Salinas, Calif. The objective of thebreeding program is to create new cut Chrysanthemum cultivars havinginflorescences with desirable colors and good form and substance.

[0003] The new Chrysanthemum originated from a cross made by theInventor in June, 1994, in Salinas, Calif., of the Chrysanthemumcultivar Colon, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent with aproprietary Chrysanthemum seedling selection identified as 0098, as thefemale, or seed, parent.

[0004] The cultivar Yoswift was discovered and selected by the Inventoras a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in acontrolled environment in Alva, Fla., in November, 1995. The selectionof this plant was based on its desirable inflorescence colors and goodform and substance.

[0005] Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum by terminalcuttings taken in a controlled environment in Alva, Fla., has shown thatthe unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproducedtrue to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] The cultivar Yoswift has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, daylength and lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

[0007] The following traits have been repeatedly observed and aredetermined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Yoswift’. Thesecharacteristics in combination distinguish ‘Yoswift’ as a new anddistinct cultivar:

[0008] 1. Anemone-type inflorescences that are about 5.1 cm in diameterand with large anemone centers.

[0009] 2. Attractive white ray and dark purple-tipped disc florets.

[0010] 3. Very freely flowering with numerous inflorescences per stem.

[0011] 4. Early flowering, response time is about 50 days.

[0012] 5. Dark green foliage.

[0013] 6. Thick and strong stems.

[0014] 7. Good postproduction longevity with inflorescences maintaininggood substance and color for about three weeks in an interiorenvironment.

[0015] Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of thecultivar Mascota, disclosed in U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No.09/383,530. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Salinas, Calif.,plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the cultivar Mascota differed in thefollowing characteristics:

[0016] 1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have shorter leaves andshorter petioles than plants of the cultivar Mascota.

[0017] 2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have more inflorescences perstem than plants of the cultivar Mascota.

[0018] 3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have slightly smallerinflorescences but larger anemone centers than plants of the cultivarMascota.

[0019] 4. Ray florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum are moreupright than ray florets of plants of the cultivar Mascota.

[0020] 5. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have shorter peduncles thanplants of the cultivar Mascota.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

[0021] The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overallappearance of the new Chrysanthemum, showing the colors as true as it isreasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color valuescited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describethe colors of the new Chrysanthemum. The photograph on the first sheetcomprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering stem of‘Yoswift’ grown as a spray-type cut Chrysanthemum. The photograph on thesecond sheet comprises a close-up view of typical inflorescences of‘Yoswift’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

[0022] In the following description, color references are made to TheRoyal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except where general terms ofordinary dictionary significance are used. The following observationsand measurements describe plants grown in Salinas, Calif., underconditions which approximate commercial practice in a double-layerpolyethylene-covered greenhouse. Two-week old rooted cuttings wereplanted on May 30, 2000 and received 21 long day/short nights followedby short day/long nights until flowering. Plants were grown assingle-stem cut chrysanthemums. During the production time, thefollowing environmental conditions were measured: day temperatures, 18to 27° C.; night temperatures, 16 to 18° C.; and light levels, 2,000 to4,000 footcandles. Measurements and numerical values represent averagesfor six to ten typical flowering stems and were taken during the week ofAug. 21, 2000.

[0023] Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivarYoswift.

[0024] Commercial classification: Anemone spray-type cut Chrysanthemum.

[0025] Parentage:

[0026]Male or pollen parent.—Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Colon,not patented.

[0027]Female or seed parent.—Proprietary Chrysanthemum×morifoliumseedling selection identified as code number 0098, not patented.

[0028] Propagation:

[0029]Type.—Terminal tip cuttings.

[0030]Time to rooting.—Seven to ten days with soil temperatures of 21°C.

[0031]Root description.—Fine, fibrous and well-branched.

[0032] Plant description:

[0033]Appearance.—Herbaceous anemone spray-type cut flower.

[0034] Flowering stem description:

[0035]Aspect.—Erect.

[0036]Length.—About 91.4 cm.

[0037]Diameter.—About 8 mm.

[0038]Texture.—Pubescent.

[0039]Color.—144A to 146A.

[0040] Foliage description:

[0041]Arrangement.—Alternate.

[0042]Length.—About 10.1 cm.

[0043]Width.—About 7.7 cm.

[0044]Apex.—Cuspidate to mucronate.

[0045]Base.—Mostly truncate.

[0046]Margin.—Palnately lobed; sinuses mostly parallel.

[0047]Texture.—Upper and lower surfaces pubescent. Veins prominent onlower surface.

[0048] Color:

[0049]Young foliage upper surface.—Darker than 147A.

[0050]Young foliage lower surface.—Darker than 147B.

[0051]Mature foliage upper surface.—Darker than 147A; venation, close to147B.

[0052]Mature foliage lower surface.—Close to 147B; venation, close to146B.

[0053] Petiole:

[0054] Length.—About 1.8 cm.

[0055]Diameter.—About 3 mm.

[0056]Color.—Close to 146B.

[0057] Flowering description:

[0058]Appearance.—Anemone spray-type inflorescence form with elongatedoblong-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences borne on terminals, arisingfrom leaf axils. Disc and ray florets arranged acropetally on acapitulum.

[0059]Flowering response.—Under natural conditions, plant flower in theautumn/winter in the Northern Hemisphere. At other times of the year,inflorescence initiation and development can be induced under shortday/long night conditions (at least 13.5 hours of darkness). Plantsexposed to three weeks of long day/short night conditions after plantingfollowed by photoinductive short day/long night conditions flower about50 days later.

[0060]Postproduction longevity.—In an interior environment, floweringstems will maintain good color and substance for about three weeks in aninterior environment after one week of cool storage.

[0061]Quantity of Inflorescences.—Freely flowering with about 18inflorescences per flowering stem.

[0062] Inflorescence size:

[0063]Diameter.—About 5.1 cm.

[0064]Depth (height).—About 2.1 cm.

[0065]Diameter of disc.—About 3.5 cm.

[0066]Diameter of receptacle.—About 5.5 mm.

[0067] Ray florets:

[0068]Shape.—Elongated oblong.

[0069]Length.—About 2.9 cm.

[0070]Corolla tube length.—About 5 mm.

[0071]Width.—About 7.5 mm.

[0072]Corolla tube diameter.—About 1 mm.

[0073]Apex.—Mostly acute, occasionally emarginate.

[0074]Base.—Attenuate.

[0075]Margin.—Entire.

[0076]Texture.—Satiny, smooth, glabrous; longitudinally ridged.

[0077]Aspect.—Mostly flat.

[0078]Aspect.—Initially upright; when mature, about 45° from vertical.

[0079]Number of ray florets per infloreseence.—About 26 arranged in oneor two rows.

[0080] Color:

[0081]When opening, upper surface.—White ground color, close to 155D;overlain with longitudinal faint purple, close to 71A to 77A, stripes.

[0082]When opening, lower surface.—White ground color, close to 155D;underlain with longitudinal faint purple, close to 77A, stripes.

[0083]Mature, upper surface.—White ground color, close to 155D; overlainwith longitudinal faint purple, close to 77A, stripes. With subsequentdevelopment, stripes fade and florets become completely white.

[0084]Mature, lower surface.—White ground color, close to 155D;underlain with longitudinal faint purple, close to 77A, stripes.

[0085] Disc florets:

[0086]Shape.—Enlarged tubular; flared.

[0087]Length.—About 2.1 cm.

[0088] Width:

[0089]Apex.—About 4 mm.

[0090]Base.—About 1 mm.

[0091]Number of disc florets per inflorescence.—Numerous, typicallyabout 154.

[0092] Color:

[0093] Immature:

[0094]Apex.—More red than 79A to close to 187A.

[0095]Mid-section and base.—Close to 145A.

[0096] Mature, tube:

[0097]Apex.—More red than 79A to more intense purple than 77A.

[0098]Mid-section.—White, close to 155D, ground color overlain withlongitudinal purple, 77A, stripes. With subsequent development, stripesfade and florets become completely white.

[0099]Base.—154A.

[0100]Mature, throat.—Mostly white, close to 155D, with faint purple,close to 77A, longitudinal stripes.

[0101] Peduncle:

[0102]Aspect.—Strong, angled about 45 to 50° from vertical.

[0103] Length:

[0104]First peduncle.—About 5.6 cm.

[0105]Fourth peduncle.—About 6.75 cm.

[0106]Seventh peduncle.—About 10 cm.

[0107]Diameter.—About 3 mm.

[0108]Texture.—Very fine pubescence.

[0109]Color.—144A to 146A.

[0110] Reproductive organs:

[0111]Androecium.—Present on disc florets only.

[0112]Anther color.—9A.

[0113]Amount of pollen.—Scarce.

[0114]Pollen color.—12A.

[0115]Gynoecium.—Present on both ray and disc florets.

[0116]Seed.—Seed production has not been observed.

[0117] Disease resistance: Resistance to pathogens common toChrysanthemums has not been observed on plants grown under commercialconditions.

[0118]Temperature tolerance.—Plants of the new Chrysanthemum havedemonstrated good tolerance to night temperatures as low as 5° C. andday temperatures as high as 40° C.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plantnamed ‘Yoswift’, as illustrated and described.